New Steelers return man Gunner Olszewski is listed as a wide receiver on the team's roster. He'd like for that to actually mean something.
In three seasons with what he always refers to as his "former team," the Patriots, Olszewski didn't get much of an opportunity to do that, playing 253 offensive snaps and making nine catches for 127 yards and one touchdown. This was despite the fact the Patriots wide receiving core has been one of the worst in football the previous three seasons.
It's perhaps because he played cornerback at tiny Bemidji State University in Minnesota, converting to wide receiver when he joined the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 2019. But Olszewski, 25, doesn't use his relative newness to playing wide receiver as an excuse.
"It's been three years," he told me. "I'm a wide receiver. I've been playing wide receiver long enough."
Still, three years of experience playing a position isn't quite the same as playing it full-time in college, as well, which is what many of the players against which Olszewski is competing have done.
"I don't worry about that," he told me. "I know I can contribute as a wide receiver. And the Steelers are giving me a chance to do that."
MORE STEELERS
2. Olszewski is not just an accomplished return man -- he owns a career 12.6-yard average on punt returns -- but he's also very good working outside on coverage units as, you guessed it, a gunner. Living up to his name is something he enjoys. "I really like getting downfield and making tackles," he told me. "It takes me back to my defensive roots." -- Lolley
3. People will look at the contract extension signed by Terry McLaurin of the Commanders earlier this week and think there's no way the Steelers are going to be getting into that neighborhood with Diontae Johnson. But the key here is that McLaurin's three-year deal is worth "as much as" $71 million according to reports. Words are important. They mean things. The words as "as much as" means there are some performance bonuses built in. The overall base of the deal is worth less than that. The key point is that McLaurin's signing bonus was $28 million, though $53 million was guaranteed. The average value of McLaurin's deal is $23.3 million per year. But the real key is the bonus money and guarantees. -- Lolley
4. After the signings of Larry Ogunjobi and Kenny Pickett, the Steelers now have $10.5 million in available salary cap space according to the NFLPA. Now, that's with their entire rookie class now signed, and the team can create more space if it so chooses. But the Steelers don't have some big windfall of cash available. They can sign a couple of cheap veterans if they so choose. But they'll also need about $6 million -- enough to make 10 signings at the veteran minimum -- to get them through the regular season. -- Lolley
5. The month-plus of time between the end of minicamp and the start of training camp can be a nervous time for NFL coaches. With the training regime young players go through to get ready for the draft and then their rookie year, this period is the only time young players aren't under the microscope of the team or trainers. But Mike Tomlin doesn't seem concerned despite his team being so young. I asked him if he gave his team the speech about not being the guy who gets into an off-field issue during all this time off. "I don't know that I stressed it any more than usual," Tomlin said. "I just think it's a time period we all have to acknowledge from that perspective." -- Lolley
6. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has more footwork drills and uses more props than any other coach on the Steelers staff. And he throws different drills at his group every day, working on cutting and quick feet. Will it make a difference with that group? Who knows? But it certainly can't hurt. And it's always entertaining to watch. Faulkner will likely have some new drills dreamed up when he gets to training camp, as well. His drills are always ones visiting coaches -- and there are college coaches on hand at every practice -- watch intently. -- Lolley
PIRATES
7. There was a time last year where Kumar Rocker was considered the favorite to be taken first overall in the amateur draft, but he eventually fell to 10th and wasn't even extended an offer from the Mets because of a poor medical report. He won't be drafted near the top of the first round, but he could be an interesting pick up in the compensation or second round. And the Pirates are doing their homework on him, sending one of their highest-ranking members of the amateur scouting team to watch his most recent start in the draft league this weekend. While that doesn't tell the whole story of how seriously the Pirates would consider taking Rocker, they wouldn't send someone this high up if it wasn't at least seriously considered. -- Alex Stumpf
8. Rocker's signability is going to be a key factor for this draft. He's still a Scott Boras client, and while there's no way he's going to sign for the $4.74 million he almost got from the Mets, slot values dip to below $2 million at the start of the second round and under a million before round three. Rocker could still potentially command an over-slot bonus, which could scare teams away. In short, trying to pick where Rocker will be drafted is a fool's chore. -- Stumpf
9. Many mock drafts have seemed to zero in on the Pirates either taking Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee or 17-year-old third baseman Cam Collier. They certainly fit the bill for the type of players Ben Cherington has targeted with the Pirates. All three of his first-round picks have been college players (Nick Gonzales, Carmen Mlodzinski and Henry Davis) and Collier is a Cape Cod League darling, which was almost their entire 2020 draft class. Those are rules of thumb, not absolutes, but it's hard to ignore a trend. -- Stumpf
10. In amateur Pirates baseball news, I had an analyst point out that North Allegheny High School shortstop Cole Young is one of the best players available this year, perhaps even better than his No. 14 ranking in Baseball America's draft prospects would indicate. The Pirates have yet to be linked to Young, who doesn't fit the Cape Cod or college mold, but it would be fun if it happened to stay local. -- Stumpf
11. Before Thursday's game, I bumped into hitting coach Andy Haines and asked how he was doing. "Ask me after 10," is his standard reply back, a joke that his hitters will determine how his night goes. After the Pirates' five-homer win that night, I bumped into him again and asked how he was doing now that it was after 10. "Pretty good," he said with a smile back. -- Stumpf
12. Pirates pitching has been up and down this year, but after finally getting to see how Oscar Marin operates in the clubhouse and with his coaches, he's been a constant. He's remained in high spirits, ready to work each day. His pitchers take notice, too. -- Stumpf
13. Something to watch with reliever Tyler Beede: He's started to throw a sinker (a pitch he previously ditched in 2019). It's not showing up in pitch tracking, but he's leaning into his velocity and trying to get more grounders rather than whiffs. The bullpen could use a ground ball specialist, and he could profile as one. -- Stumpf
14. Speaking of sinker, Quinn Priester told me he's going to be throwing his two-seam more often this year compared to last. I've heard criticism that the four-seamer can flatten out, and he used to rely on that sink in high school, but after a year of experimenting he wants to mix it in more. If nothing else, it should help him use all of the zone more. -- Stumpf
15. During my trip to Dunedin, Fla., I talked to Jase Bowen, one of the Bradenton Marauders' top hitters this year. He's also an extreme utility player, bouncing around the infield and outfield this year. That's most likely his fate in the Pirates system. He doesn't seem to mind though. "It gets me in the lineup," he said with a smile. -- Stumpf
16. In a time where the bullpen has struggled to put away games, Chase De Jong has been a calming and effective presence. He surrendered only two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in June, and had a 1.82 ERA and 0.91 WHIP entering play Thursday. I asked De Jong what the secret has been for his success thus far, and it all comes down to his health. Since undergoing surgery on his left knee (plant leg) last year, De Jong has come back and been able to pitch with more conviction knowing his knee is finally healthy. "Just having the peace of mind knowing that I have a structurally sound knee underneath me takes away a lot of the worry and stress. Now I can just focus on game-planning and execution." -- Chris Halicke in Washington
PENGUINS
17. The Penguins are very much prioritizing re-signing Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin (in that order) before free agency opens. But in the event that Malkin isn't able to be re-signed, the Penguins' front office has had internal discussions regarding pending unrestricted free agent (and Upper St. Clair native) Vince Trocheck as a possible Plan B. The Red Wings are among the teams expected to make a push for Trocheck in free agency. -- Taylor Haase at PPG Paints Arena
18. Speaking of Trocheck, he's recently arrived back in Pittsburgh and has joined the group of local players skating at the Lemieux Complex. Projected top-five pick Logan Cooley, the West Mifflin native, is also among those skating. -- Haase
19. The ability to not only play with pace, but maintain that pace over a period of time is what the coaching staff wants to see from Radim Zohorna this season in order to become a regular in the lineup. Knowing that, it's encouraging to know that Zohorna is working with the same trainer as Hurricanes center Martin Necas this summer. The NHL's player tracking data clocked Necas as having the top recorded speed in the league in the regular season, peaking at 24.9 miles per hour. -- Haase
20. At the time the team was sold to Fenway Sports Group, all concerned, notably Tom Werner of FSG, vowed to keep Mario Lemieux involved, especially on vital hockey matters. Well, it doesn't get much more vital than the respective futures of Malkin and Letang in this city and, based on everything I'd heard at the time of the sale from an ownership source, there's no chance he'd be left out of this scenario. Doesn't mean he'll have final say or even a figurative vote, but he'll absolutely have a voice. As will Ron Burkle, by the way. -- Dejan Kovacevic at PNC Park
21. Not a solitary soul on the inside with whom I've come in contact in recent weeks expects the Penguins to lose either Malkin or Letang. But they do expect, as they'd expected all along, that it wouldn't be as simple as administering pay cuts and moving on. Everything's more effective with a deadline, even one as vague as the one Brian Burke put forth this week, and here it comes. As I've reported all along, no one wants to drag this scenario out onto the Bell Centre floor for the NHL Draft in Montreal next week. -- Kovacevic
